CCS Theater

The Senior High Theater Department at Cincinnati Christian Schools is an integral part of the school community. From the classroom to the stage, CCS performers expect to meet the highest standards of excellence. That standard of excellence is a trust handed down from class to class; a standard that underclassmen are eager to meet and alumni are proud to have held. CCS has a long history of performance theater high standards. Those who attend our shows have a hard time believing it's a high school performance. Along with that high excellence standard comes, not only a fine-tuning of all levels of talent, but great efforts in many areas and hard work. Read more about what it's like at CCS during performance week...

Comments from a patron...

“I want to compliment the drama and musical department for their excellent performance. The show exceeded my wildest expectations. Each and every one of the performers were in character and it came across as completely true and authentic. This was by no means an amateur performance and I mean that in the best way possible. They seemed to believe in themselves which is an sign of an outstanding director. The performance moved my daughters to tears and they have not stopped talking about it since we got home. I am someone who truly appreciates fine theater and I feel completely blessed to have attended your performance tonight. You could see all the dedication that went into this production and I commend you all. Thank you for a wonderful evening of music and drama for my daughters and I.”

Senior High Theater Courses

The theater classes offered at CCS are Performance Theater and Technical Theater. These courses may be taken each year that the student’s schedule allows.

Performance Theater is an acting class that ranges from introduction to acting to advanced training depending on the prior skills of the student. The course has regular exercises in impromptu acting, dramatic interpretation, and character development. In addition, the course delves into Shakespeare and the genres of theatrical performance.

Technical Theater class exists primarily to assist in the production of the school’s plays. This includes set construction, make-up, lighting, sound, stage crew and other duties. Together, the students in the class form the production staff for both the fall and spring shows, and they are required to participate backstage during the performances.

Our Shows

CCS performs two theatrical productions each year. The shows are cast from open auditions. All students in 9th through 12th Grades may audition for both shows. Junior High students may audition for the spring musical, and occasionally, Elementary students are invited to audition.

The fall show is usually smaller in scale and is performed at the Fairfield Community Arts Center. Auditions are usually held during the first week of August.

The spring production is a major Broadway musical performed at the Aronoff Center, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, in Downtown Cincinnati. These shows usually audition the beginning of December.

The Cappies

The CCS Theater Department is a charter member of the Critics and Awards Program of Cincinnati, the “Cappies.” The Cappies, is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers like Cincinnati Enquirer.

At the end of the year, the student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala. Many CCS performers have been nominated for Cappies awards and several have won. CCS always has a solid group of student Cappie critics as well each school year. More CCS Cappies details is available here. www.cappies.com